This invention relates to a collectible such as is collected by hobbyist collectors. More specifically the invention relates to a collectible which embodies a writing instrument such as a pen and which may also be related to sport activities.
Certain types of collectibles involve sports-related articles. Examples of such collectibles are pennants, autographed baseballs, autographed footballs, etc. The stature of a collection is enhanced by collectibles of the same general character but each unique, for example identifying a particular sports team. One can thus collect articles identifying his or her favorite sports team, or teams, and it can also be an objective to collect the entire collection of such articles comprising all possible sports teams.
Many collectibles are simply for display purposes or for the self-satisfaction of the collectors. In other words they often have no utilitarian value by themselves. Children are particularly awed by collectibles, and they often have an intense desire to possess collectible articles relating to their favorite sports team or teams. This can also extend to a full collection of all sports teams. While collecting simply for personal satisfaction is an admirable objective, it is a fact of life that many children and their families are of limited resources and cannot often afford the enjoyment of collections simply for collection's sake. Hence if a collectible has a utilitarian aspect, it is more prone to acceptance by the parents who often are the ones actually purchasing the collectible for the child. This is not to say that children themselves do not purchase collectibles because children may have a weekly allowance which enables them to make purchases; however, it is generally fair to say that their purchasing power is limited. Accordingly, the creation of a collectible which can satisfy the desire of children to acquire collectibles, while at the same time being of a cost which is within their own and/or their parent's reach, is certainly a desirable objective. Furthermore as noted above, when coupled with a utilitarian aspect, this objective becomes even more desirable.
The present invention is directed to a collectible which, in addition to having an inherent collection value of its own, also possesses a utilitarian aspect. Furthermore the cost of the collectible is within the reach of children and their parents, and in many instances it will be possible for children to collect them in numbers rather than simply being able to purchase only a single collectible.
The present invention is directed to a collectible which comprises a base, a writing instrument removably mounted on the base in an upright position, and a replica of a piece of sports equipment mounted on the writing instrument. The replica of the piece of sports equipment and/or the base may contain indicia and/or colors representative of a particular sports team. The disclosed embodiment of the invention uses as a replica of a piece of sports equipment, a replica of a football player's helmet. The helmet is mounted on one end of the writing instrument, and an aperture is provided in the base into which the other end of the writing instrument is inserted. The illustrating embodiment of writing instrument is a pen, such as a felt tip pen, and it comprises a body containing the felt tip which is covered by a removable cap. The helmet replica is mounted on the cap. Thus the collectible may be displayed on a display surface such as a desk, shelf, or the like, and the collectible helmet will be supported by the pen at a location above the base so that indicia on both the base and the helmet may be readily viewed. If desired, the pen may be removed from the base for use by an individual. The pen cap, with helmet attached, is removed to expose the felt writing tip on the pen body, and the removed cap may either be placed on the end of the pen body opposite the tip or else it may be set aside. After use the pen is re-capped, and may be returned to the base for display. The colors involved for the helmet and base may relate to the identity of a particular sports team and it is possible to coordinate the color of the pen therewith. Thus a set of collectibles contemplates not only the complete range of individual teams, but it encompasses various colors of pens as well.
The collectible can be manufactured and sold at retail at a very reasonable cost, and thus the enjoyment of a collection, such as a sports team collection, is within the reach of children, who for the most part possess limited resources for purchasing collectibles.
Further features of the invention relate to the details of construction, and these contribute to the capability to manufacture the collectibles at reasonable cost.
The foregoing features, advantages, and benefits of the invention, along with additional ones, will be seen in the ensuing description and claims which should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings disclose preferred embodiments of the invention according to the best mode contemplated at the present time in carrying out the invention.